Ravens players keep Ray Lewis' Oregon Ridge tradition going

CaptionHow will the team's off-field disciplinary issues affect them?

Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun

This is well-worn territory, but for a squad that had so many true football questions to answer after last year's 8-8 season, it begs questioning whether they'll be able to answer those questions full-on. Jimmy Smith's arrest and citation for disorderly conduct last weekend in Towson was the team's fifth arrest of the offseason, and chief among the impact the that trouble could have is with Ray Rice, for whom a suspension could be coming down from the league office any minute now. Rice might be the only one to face discipline, but the team could feel the consequences right away. Earlier in the spring, Harbaugh mentioned altering training camp rules if his team couldn't get its act together. Will he keep the veterans under a more watchful eye? Will freedoms be taken away? It's all on the table, really -- or at least it should be.

This is well-worn territory, but for a squad that had so many true football questions to answer after last year's 8-8 season, it begs questioning whether they'll be able to answer those questions full-on. Jimmy Smith's arrest and citation for disorderly conduct last weekend in Towson was the team's fifth arrest of the offseason, and chief among the impact the that trouble could have is with Ray Rice, for whom a suspension could be coming down from the league office any minute now. Rice might be the only one to face discipline, but the team could feel the consequences right away. Earlier in the spring, Harbaugh mentioned altering training camp rules if his team couldn't get its act together. Will he keep the veterans under a more watchful eye? Will freedoms be taken away? It's all on the table, really -- or at least it should be. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

The Ravens' defense has been the franchise's hallmark for basically as long as it has existed, and yet the defense has found itself outside the top 10 in the league the last two seasons. The old guard of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed is gone, and to a man, the defensive veterans said during minicamp and OTAs that they're playing with a chip on their shoulder after the first year without those fixtures didn't go so well. There are plenty of big-name veterans whose contributions are known quantities. But have the Ravens done enough to improve the team speed on defense and get back to the ball-hawking, aggressive group that won a pair of Super Bowls? I personally think so, but we'll see how it plays out.

The Ravens' defense has been the franchise's hallmark for basically as long as it has existed, and yet the defense has found itself outside the top 10 in the league the last two seasons. The old guard of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed is gone, and to a man, the defensive veterans said during minicamp and OTAs that they're playing with a chip on their shoulder after the first year without those fixtures didn't go so well. There are plenty of big-name veterans whose contributions are known quantities. But have the Ravens done enough to improve the team speed on defense and get back to the ball-hawking, aggressive group that won a pair of Super Bowls? I personally think so, but we'll see how it plays out. (Lloyd Fox, Baltimore Sun)

Along with several other fitness enthusiasts, offensive linemen Jeremy Zuttah, A.Q. Shipley and Will Rackley ran the hill early Friday morning. Running back Ray Rice, wide receiver Torrey Smith, cornerback Jimmy Smith, safety Anthony Levine and former Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, have also run the hill with Timonium-based trainer Kyle Jakobe of Sweat Performance to build up their leg strength and stamina.

"We've been working hard," said Shipley after a grueling workout at Oregon Ridge that included pushups between runs. "We've been going hard. This was kind of like our last bit of conditioning before camp starts. It was a heck of a day.

"It's tough. It's a heck of a workout. We've taken a likening to it and what Kyle's done. He's gotten us ready to roll."

This has been an important offseason for Shipley, who started nine games last season at left offensive guard after starter Kelechi Osemele suffered a season-ending back injury.

The converted center, acquired last year during an offseason trade from the Indianapolis Colts, has been concentrating on guard play.

"It's different," said Shipley, a 6-foot-1, 307-pound former Penn State player. "I've always kind of had a ball in my hand being a center. This offseason, I haven't really played much center at all. Obviously, I can still play it if they need me to. I've been focusing on both guard spots this offseason, and hopefully I'll have a chance to compete for one of them."

Osemele has made a sound return from back surgery to repair a herniated disk. Pro Bowl lineman Marshal Yanda is entrenched at right guard. So Shipley has been working with the second-team offense.

Last season, Shipley built his confidence while getting acclimated to a new position. He was thrown into the lineup against the Miami Dolphins after Osemele had back spasms.

"Absolutely, I got better each game," Shipley said. "Last year when I went in against Miami, that was really my first time playing a full game at guard. I got better each game. My technique got better and my confidence got a lot better each game."

Running the hill has paid dividends for Shipley, who has lost weight since last season.

"A.Q. is one of the hardest workers I've ever seen," Jaboke said. "He shows up early every day. He's a beast with the way he goes about his work. He's very blue-collar. He's had to earn his stripes every place he's been. It's never easy. He's always had to fight for his playing time.

The Ravens' top decision makers are always preaching about the importance of roster competition. They want it at every position, not just for starting roles but for special teams units and back-end roster spots.